Thorn
is a red male dragon, bonded to Murtagh. He was trained to fight by Shruikan, and by the time of the Battle of The Burning Plains could breathe fire. Thorn is very skilled at aerial combat, being able to hold his own against Saphira, even when he was severely injured. http:// http:// Thorn was one of the three dragon eggs in Galbatorix's treasury, along with Saphira and the other egg that has not hatched yet. He most likely came into Galbatorix's possession when the king salvaged the last dragon eggs from the or during the Fall. There are several other possibilities as to how Thorn came to be in Galbatorix's possession, but none of them are as likely.For decades, Galbatorix ceaselessly and tirelessly endeavored to find Thorn's rider and make him hatch, but to no avail; none of the candidates Galbatorix presented passed Thorn's approval enough to be considered for his rider. http:// Finally, after over a hundred years in Galbatorix's treasury and even longer within his shell, Thorn felt the presence of the one person in the Empire he would consent to have for his Rider and eternal companion: Murtagh, son of Morzan. Sensing his presence, Thorn burst forth from his egg. Unlike Saphira, who waited cautiously to ensure Galbatorix wasn't trying to trick her, Thorn emerged without apparent hesitation, allowing himself to enter Galbatorix's service in order to bond with his Rider. As soon as Thorn hatched, his mind was joined with Murtagh's, who immediately began training in magic to (unwillingly) serve as Galbatorix's right hand man and best magician. Thorn and his new Rider were forced into service to Galbatorix through knowledge of their true names. http:// To prepare him to take to the sky against the hated rebels, Galbatorix gave several Eldunarí (dragon hearts that contain dead dragon's souls) to Murtagh & Throrn, mutating, strengthening, and toughening them. Thorn grew to many times the size a dragon of his age would normally be, and Shruikan taught him the secrets of aerial combat he had learned and perfected over the last century. Thorn became a formidable dragon, though it is likely he was confused and disoriented with his new body for a time. http:// Once Thorn's unnatural growth had been completed and his Rider had mastered a range of new, dark powers, the two were dispatched to Surda to crush the rebellion. Thorn flew to the Burning Plains, where he and Murtagh received their first real challenge: a battle with Eragon Bromsson and Saphira. Thorn matched Saphira blow for blow, even though he was unarmored and younger than she was. Even after taking a crippling injury from Eragon's risky attack, Thorn fought on, and managed to harry Saphira towards the ground. After a spectacular battle, Eragon and Saphira were soundly defeated. Murtagh then decided to release Eragon, possibly with Thorn urging him to do so. http:// Thorn and Murtagh returned to Galbatorix empty-handed. Galbatorix was furious with Thorn and Murtagh for letting Eragon escape. After he heard that the Ra'zac had been killed, a loss that Murtagh and Thorn could have prevented by capturing Eragon and/or Saphira, he punished them severely. Afterward, they swore more oaths that would ensure their absolute obedience in the future. After hearing of their account/prying the information from their minds, Galbatorix learned that Eragon now had the physical appearance of an elf. Fearing Eragon had gained elvish strength, and rightly so, Galbatorix bestowed additional powers on Thorn and Murtagh, making Thorn longer and deeper in the chest, and Murtagh stronger than any human. http:// Murtagh and Thorn were ordered to capture Eragon, who had stayed behind at Helgrind to finish off the Ra'zac. Thorn flew over the southern Empire, searching for Eragon. Without his dragon, Eragon was no match for Thorn and Murtagh's combined power, but he managed to hide from them until they passed onwards, searching elsewhere. The hunt for Eragon proved an utter failure. Thorn flew Murtagh to Surda, leading a company of painless soldiers to attack the Varden. Eragon and Saphira, in the hopes of avoiding a battle with the superior pair, offered to reveal a means of escaping Galbatorix. Murtagh and Thorn discussed the possibility, and decided to listen (possibly because Thorn wanted him to listen), though Murtagh was extremely annoyed at being tempted with what he viewed as a futile hope. After hearing of the possibility of changing their true names, they took note of the possibility, then attacked Eragon and Saphira anyway. Murtagh asserted that he and Thorn could not change themselves in an instant, and that Galbatorix had probably planned for this eventuality. While the forces of the Empire and the Varden clashed, Thorn and Murtagh battled Eragon and Saphira once more. Thorn dealt Saphira numerous injuries and received several in return, but was repeatedly healed by Murtagh and fought on, despite the pain. In a climatic final struggle between their Riders, the battle came to an indecisive end, with Thorn and Murtagh forced to flee, but relatively unharmed. Upon leaving, Murtagh called out to his enemies that he and Thorn would return, more powerful then ever, and defeat Eragon and Saphira then. http:// Murtagh and Thorn flew back to the capital to be chastised in person. After Galbatorix was done with them, he sent them north, to hold off the forces of the elves. Thorn was briefly seen by Saphira while flying across the land, but made no attempt to fight her. His sighting sent the Varden into temporary alarm, as he was considered one of the most dangerous of their enemies, especially with Murtagh on his back. At Gil'ead, they found the city under attack by the elves. Thorn roared his challenge for all to hear, and was confronted by Glaedr, with Oromis atop his back. The two dragons and their riders duel in the sky with every ounce of their power, both of them receiving numerous wounds and being healed by their riders several times. During the battle, Thorn used the very tactic Saphira had used against him in their last fight; he hid using the cover of the clouds, then darted out and struck his opponent. Even with this tactic, Glaedr was a formidable opponent, and the fight continued. Finally, acting through Murtagh, Galbatorix defeated and slew Oromis, knocking the sword Naegling from his hand and cutting him open from shoulder to hip. Glaedr used a blast of magic to push Thorn away, but the red dragon returned moments later, though he was severely injured. With the last of his strength, Thorn outmaneuvered his foe and bit the base of his skull, severing his spine and killing him almost instantly. With Galbatorix taking control of their minds, Murtagh and Thorn had defeated Glaedr and Oromis, the last of the old order. With this act, the Dragon Riders of old were destroyed forever, at the hands of Galbatorix. (It is possible that Galbatorix has already removed Thorn's Eldunari, thus how Galbatorix took control of Murtagh through him. It is also suspected that while Galbatorix was controlling Murtagh, Shruikan was also controlling Thorn.) Save for the Eldunari of Glaedr, the old order was gone. http:// http:// Thorn is a stocky, compact dragon with very strong muscles and limbs for his size. He is smaller than Saphira, most likely because he was younger, but sturdier in build, with thicker legs. Thorn's eyes and hide are a sparkling ruby color, while his talons, teeth and neck spikes are all snow white. He has two cheek spikes, fewer than either Saphira or Glaedr, and wide, crescent shaped horns. His red eyes are split by black, vertical pupils.Thorn is missing three feet of his tail, as it was bitten off by Glaedr during Oromis's and Glaedr's final battle. While Saphira was built for flying, Thorn's bulky shape seems to favor physical combat over speed. Thorn's size is due to Galbatorix using magic on him, but why he has such stout limbs compared to this size is unknown. It could be that Galbatorix purposefully emphasized his bulk to make him a stronger fighter when he was increasing his size. It is also possible that male dragons, or those that are red, tend to be more compact in build, regardless of their size. It could also be that individual dragons have bodies built for different purposes, much as humans' bodies are suited to different tasks, and Thorn is the kind of dragon made for strength. http:// Both Thorn and Murtagh were unwilling servants of Galbatorix, but it is not known how Thorn feels about his and Murtagh's predicament. It is believed by fans that Thorn is not evil and deserves to be set free from Galbatorix. Eldest implies that Murtagh and Thorn argued over letting Eragon escape during the Battle of The Burning Plains. Otherwise, Thorn has not spoken. During Brisingr, a vast, puzzled sadness appeared in Thorn's eyes, implying that he regrets his position and considers himself a victim. This implies that he would betray Galbatorix if given the opportunity. Maybe when Murtagh's true name changes, he will assist Eragon and Saphira in defeating Galbatorix. He will not betray him yet as he and Murtagh are both bound to Galbatorix through various problems such as Galbatorix controlling them through their true names and other oaths. It's also possible that he may have the chance to join the Varden. However, because Murtagh has already made clear he will not join the Varden, Thorn probably wouldn't swear allegiance to another faction without Murtagh's approval, except possibly for the sake of the dragons or revenge against Galbatorix. http:// http:// It is implied at the end of Eldest that Murtagh and either Thorn or Galbatorix argued over, or at least discussed, whether or not to allow Eragon and Saphira to escape. After Eragon reasoned with Murtagh, neither he nor Thorn spoke for a full minute, plenty of time for a brief conversation. It is possible that either Thorn or Murtagh wanted to capture Eragon and take him to Galbatorix, and the other persuaded them not to. Either way, the result was the same; Murtagh and Thorn released Eragon and Saphira. If there was an argument, there are two possibilities. The first, and most popular possibility, is that Thorn persuaded Murtagh to release Eragon and Saphira for the sake of the Varden, and Murtagh did, because Thorn told him to. The second, a less popular but equally likely theory, is that Murtagh decided to release Eragon, and Thorn tried and failed to convince him otherwise. If there wasn't an argument, then Thorn probably left the decision to Murtagh, and the minute that passed was merely Murtagh thinking about it by himself. Another possibility is that both Murtagh & Thorn wanted to release Eragon and Saphira and were searching for a loophole in their oaths or were concerned about the consequences of their actions. http:// It is highly possible that Thorn convinced Murtagh to release Eragon and Saphira. Murtagh said to Eragon, right before he withdrew into himself, "It would be so easy to take you back to Urû'baen . . . (and) you just tried to kill me." He seemed prepared to take Eragon into custody, and his face was expressionless, grim. However, after the minute, he suddenly announced he would let Eragon go. This would also fit in with Thorn's later behavior: during Brisingr, Murtagh and Thorn communicated briefly, and Murtagh suddenly became much more willing to listen to Eragon. This could possibly be because Thorn urged him to listen. However, a grave point against this thought is that, argument or not, Murtagh waited a whole minute after hearing Eragon's final pleas, plenty of time for him to think things over and change his mind. There are some definite points that suggest Thorn was actually in favor of capturing Eragon and Saphira. It calls into question Thorn's motives; though he seems to hate being forced to do Galbatorix's will, he was raised in the capital, under Galbatorix and Murtagh,(though he was probably raised mostly by Murtagh, and trained mostly by Shruikan) and because he is so young, he would know little of the outside world beyond what he had been taught until he gains more experience. It seems probable that Galbatorix would instill in Thorn the idea that the Varden is evil, and not to be helped, reducing the chances that Thorn would do anything for their sake, except as intentional defiance to Galbatorix. A possible counter-argument is that through Murtagh, Thorn may have learned good things about the world and the Varden, thus allowing him to make decisions that are not dictated by Galbatorix's dogma. However, this also calls into question why Murtagh would teach Thorn that the Varden were good and the Empire was evil, as evidence both before and after he became a Rider makes clear he does not believe these things himself. In the chapter, "Inheritance", Murtagh states that Galbatorix is not evil and the elves are cowards and fools, (in response to Eragon's ungratefulness and selfishness). And during the chapter "Hunting for Answers" Murtagh states that the Empire is a sound system that should not be overthrown, and the Varden's beliefs and actions are corrupt and fanatical. The thought of Murtagh being the very opponent against Thorn's suggestion to let Eragon almost completely invalidates the thought that Murtagh taught Thorn things that led him to arguing for Eragon and Saphira to be released. There is also the question of Thorn's feelings towards Eragon. Just minutes before Murtagh and Thorn decided his fate, Eragon slashed open Thorn's leg, causing him to roar in agony. After he landed, Thorn took a moment to stop and snarl at Eragon. In the face of this evidence, it is strange, to say the least, that Thorn would argue with his rider in favor of freeing Eragon, knowing full well that they would likely to be punished by Galbatorix for their act of mercy. It is also possible, but less likely, that Murtagh made the decision himself. Eragon frequently made decisions disregarding Saphira's advice(particularly in the chapter A Sorceress, a Snake, and a Scroll), or without getting her opinion at all. Murtagh, who is even stronger willed then Eragon, likely would do some things without his dragon's approval as well. However, against this theory is that it doesn't make sense for Thorn to be a few meters away and make no effort to have a voice in Murtagh's decision. It is difficult to determine the answer to this, as Thorn as not yet spoken and no evidence whatsoever has been presented that would lend weight to either side. Therefore, until Book IV is published, speculation over Thorn's motives are little more than personnel opinion, and both theories of Thorn's role in the argument are more-or-less equally likely. It is clear however, that whatever his role in the argument, Thorn desires freedom. http:// It has been debated among fans whether Thorn was good or evil. Thorn served the Empire, but the books hinted that he did not like serving Galbatorix and wished to be free. However, as he has not yet spoken, and his actual conversations with Murtagh remain a mystery, his moral standing has not yet been confirmed. However, it seemed that Thorn was not malignant or sadistic. Whether he was loyal to the Empire or hated it with a vengeance, he had no choice in the matter. Overall, he was most likely good. (Another point that should be raised is that Thorn's bond with Murtagh was true and pure like Eragon's bond with Saphira and unlike the bond between Galbatorix and Shruikan). Thorn was similar to Murtagh in that they both have done the best they could with the circumstances they were given. Thorn hatched into bondage. Murtagh, it appeared, was never free from Galbatorix. They were not the masters of their lives, like Eragon and Saphira. http:// Thorn has grown much faster than Saphira has ever since they both hatched. Saphira grew at a natural pace compared with Thorn who has grown much faster since he hatched for Murtagh shortly after the Battle Under Farthen Dûr in Tronjheim. As revealed by Arya, Thorn's growth rate was most likely enhanced by Galbatorix's magic to make him a competitor against Saphira. This should be considered the most likely answer at this point, but it is possible there is another answer. The Eldunarí Galbatorix supplied may have something to do with it. Or maybe Shruikan is possessing Thorn and he has grown because of it. His unnatural strength may be because of Shruikan's possession of him. When Murtagh and Thorn entered into battle with Eragon and Saphira for the second time Thorn was much bigger than he should have been for a dragon of his age. (It is not precise on his age.) Saphira comments during this battle that Thorn had grown another four feet in the two weeks since their last battle. A less likely idea that many fans have speculated on is that Thorn may have hatched earlier and Murtagh may have been a Dragon Rider when he met Eragon at first. It was not stated how big Thorn was in his battle with Oromis and Glaedr, but if he continues to grow at his pace then he might grow to be much bigger than Saphira. We do not yet know all of the consequences that Thorn's accelerated growth will have on him.http:// While some fans assume that the green dragon will be Saphira's mate, other fans strongly suggest that it is also likely that Thorn may become Saphira's mate. Some fans believe that Thorn is the perfect mate for Saphira since, he is the only dragon close to her age. It may also be possible that Thorn may leave Alagaesia with Eragon, Arya and Saphira with or without Murtagh. It is implied at that if Thorn and Saphira were to become mates then, the war may end faster resulting in the Empire betraying Galbatorix. There is also a possibility that if there would be a heart to heart scene between Thorn and Saphira in Book 4, Thorn would tell Saphira the truth and show her images of him and Murtagh being tortured and Thorn would probably tell Saphira that he was actually trying to save her and everyone else. If this happens, then Saphira would be more inclined to admire Thorn for his act of courage and bravery against Galbatorix. Thorn and Saphira may have an offspring (which may turn out to be violet). It may also breed with the green dragon as Thorn and Saphira won't be present in Alagaësia anymore. This could also help further the relationship between Eragon and Arya, including Murtagh and Nasuada.